Tobermory 12 Year

Nose: Toffee, cornflakes, freshly sawn wood, vanilla, green apples, a suggestion of maritime aromas, some honey and flinty mineral notes. It’s a young cereal-focused profile that is dominated by young casks (but admittedly good ones). It's a bit tight when neat but adding water eases the nose and releases barley sugar, more honey and some light floral aromas while muting the mineral notes. The nose recomposes very well after dilution, gaining an oily quality. Palate: Spicy entry with hot ginger, hot cinnamon and chilli. The development is thin and sharp with bright gristy cereal, a touch of coconut and tart citrus flavours. There is a little salt and the texture is watery, almost like dilute seawater, but also oddly waxy. Adding water improves the palate enormously. The hot flavours are gentled, the cereal turns to sweet malt and the tart citrus turns to semi-sweet orange. The mouthfeel is very much improved, losing the thin quality and gaining a creamy depth. Finish: Short. Drying, mineralic, metallic (coppery) and slightly sour in the aftertaste. However, once again water works miracles, almost banishing the hard notes (by balancing them with sweetness) and adding length. A little of the familiar Tobermory milk chocolate is even detected on the aftertaste now. This bears some resemblance to the old 10 year expression but whereas that whisky succeeded by virtue of its delicate and slightly maritime character this is rougher, less attractive and does not bloom until diluted. As a neat dram the nose is pleasant, and the standout feature, but the palate has some odd qualities. However water transforms this whisky from an ugly ducking into a graceful swan. If you have only tasted it neat and previously dismissed it then I'd urge you go back and try it again with a generous dash of water. You will be surprised how much it is improved. I was about to rate this at 75 until I added water ... doing so takes it up to 82. Tasted from a 30ml sample that was taken from a 2019 bottling. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

I’m greeted with a powerful yet delicate nose, like a pungent bouquet of honeysuckle and apple blossoms, but with an alcoholic kick. There’s unhulled barley, wildflower honey, and a feint minerality, almost a note of chalk but not so dry, more like Bird’s vanilla custard powder. Also, a hint of bourbon barrel spices and just a drop of lemony citrus. Spicy, sharp, and syrupy sweet on the tongue, it is the experience of the nose amplified. The heavy caramel sweetness fades quickly into soft vanilla, as the spice builds through the mid-palate approaching cayenne. The citrus too intensifies at this point, and evolves towards Valencia orange. The body lacks the girth expected but is by no means thin, not velvety but a tad creamy. The legs are so so, disorganized yet beautiful heavy teardrops form pretty skirts for a few moments before disappearing. The medium finish is dry, mineral, clean copper, oaky, somewhat bitter almond skins, and slightly saline. Whispers of spice and citrus hang on to the bitter end as well. The addition of water softens everything but the citrus sharpness, and makes the body creamier. Aroma: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finish: 8.5

The unpeated brother of Ledaig from the Isle of Mull. Ive been eying this for a while after really enjoying Ledaig 10 but for some reason this is way more expensive. I finally gave in at $75 so here we go. Nose is rich and creamy with custard, buttermilk, thick malt and seasoned barrel. There is some flinty apple skins and a farmy hay note. Palate is liquid gold. Heavy sweet barley malt with clarified butter, pink Himalayan salts, fields of heather and Caledonian timber. Just a hint of fruit and smoke. Finish is long fade salty and malty. The buttery weathered oak going to the very edge of tannic but stopping just short. This is a wonderful scotch with a specific profile(Malt Bomb) you will have to appreciate to fully enjoy. It has a purity and cleanness that just reek of quality. Reminds me of Cragganmore 12 in that regard. I find the sweetness of the malt in near perfect balance with the salty island character and barrel woods. Absolutely delicious imo.....94/100..... It is definitely overpriced for a 12 yr and I will definitely repurchase

Dan Murphys international whisky tasting night. Another blind tasting… N: Deliciously light, gentle honey, fresh lush grass, peaches, yoghurt sourness, fudgey depth and some metallic-minerallty. For such a light and bright nose this has wonderful unravelling depth. P: Beautiful malt turning oily with soft stone fruit sweetness. Barley sugar, sultanas; plump and morish. There are subtler notes of spices and citrus and a delicate salt presence. Fresh wood binds everything together without being overbearing or the main player. F: Medium. Orange, dates, and toffee. Lightly maritime and salty with a touch of drying oak. I think I will need to buy a bottle and come back to this. Really interesting, excellently made and with plenty of character to delve into, yet perfectly approachable enough to quaff. I think I need to go back to Ledaig 10 as well. Distiller whisky taste #178 Ledaig 10: 3.75/5 Tobermory 12: 4/5

Hiver 2023 - Budapest Robe dorée claire Nez fruité, aromes de miel La saveur en première bouche est cristalline comme une eau scintillante qui s'écoulerait le long de la lèvre inférieure d'une jolie hongroise. Puis les épices prennent le palais d'assaut : une explosion de saveurs (non pimentée) en 2ème bouche vient raviver les papilles avant d'être calmée par la douceur de l'arrière goût du miel qui arrive en 3ème temps. Comme une charge de Hussards stoppée net par la délicatesse d'une caresse féminine. Un whisky pour femme cristalline qui allie épices et arrière goût de miel. Dégusté avec mon ami Stambouliote et sa joyeuse bande de compères hongrois. Un plaisir pour les papilles et pour le cœur !

I tasted this single malt scotch neat at 46.3%abv. in the evening. It is non-chill filtered with natural colour. I get citrus zest on the nose. There's a subtle floral scent that really explodes on the palate. A delicate heather field, this is not - It's more like burying your face in a bouquet of diverse flowering plants. There's no smoke but a bit of an ETOH kick which is refreshing. Orange zest appears after a while, after a bit of added water. The finish is medium-length with a floral vanilla sweetness. This is colourful juice that I would pair with looking for someone to share with an adventure.